In Matthew 19:16-22, Jesus meets a young ruler. I'm sure you know the story. The rich young ruler is a righteous and very wealthy man. He asks Jesus about what he can do to gain eternal life. Jesus gives Him two commands. Firstly, love the Lord your God, and secondly, love your neighbor as yourself.

This pleased the young man immensely. He eagerly responds by saying that he has done all these things since he was a small boy. Jesus then, in verse 21, states, "If you want to be complete, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me." Of course, we know how this exchange ends. The young man leaves Jesus's presence very sad, since he was incredibly wealthy.

When I was younger, I always felt incredulous at the rich young ruler's reaction. I mean, this was such a clear-cut moment in his life. Jesus literally asks him one simple thing: to give up his wealth and come follow Him. How could a person not do such an obviously beneficial thing in light of eternity?

Yet as I've gotten older, I've come to sympathize more and more with the rich young ruler. Because if you think about it, he was living in a corrupt society without any social safety net. You worked until you were too sick and passed away out in the street. 

So here you are, being the rich young ruler, and you are at the top of the economic food chain. You are part of the .001%. You will never be hungry or cold. Then Jesus comes along and asks you to give up what makes you feel safe. Could you honestly give it all up?

Can I let you in on a little secret?

Are you ready?

I know I couldn't.

I know there are areas in my life that I am unwilling to give to Jesus. Let's take a look at some. Shall we?

I love writing more than Jesus. Give me a pencil and a piece of paper, and each and every sense becomes fully engaged (most days). So naturally, this endorphin induced feeling is something I chase wholeheartedly, even feeling annoyed or bored in Christian circles/services because I feel I should be writing or reading so that I become more proficient in my craft.

Another thing I love more than Jesus is my wife. My wife is by far God's greatest gift to me ever. However, due to our schedules, we rarely have a weekend off together. So, if there is a rare opportunity for me to spend a Sunday with her instead of at church, then I will gladly do so. Or I will leave a service early (though she hates it when I do) because I value her and our marriage more than Jesus and His presence, though it would undoubtedly help us out tremendously if I acted differently.

Another thing I love more than spending time with Jesus is to be entertained on the weekends. If you give me a new book or a new show on a streaming service, I will gladly fall into its story arch rather than keep in mind God's heavenly saga playing out in front of us. I feel in my heart of hearts that I am justified in doing this after a long week of mind-numbing work.

Lastly, I love my church work more than Jesus. Give me a task or a committee to join, and I will gladly do so. Why? Well, that is easy. The more I serve, the less time I get to spend in God's presence, and there is less of a chance that I'll be asked to change or feel convicted about something I should feel convicted about.

What about you?

What do you value more than Jesus? What dream, miracle, title, prophecy, anointing, or relationship do you love more than Jesus?

Inversely, what shame, mistake, or habit do you worship more than our Savior?

I pray that both you and I will repent and change in the future.